IIT Delhi wants to hire more differently abled teachers

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi, has launched its first exclusive recruitment drive for physically challenged candidates.

The institute has reserved three percent of its faculty strength for this category in accordance with the rules of the government of India. So, of the total 528 santioned positions, about 16 are set aside for the physically challenged. But, currently, more than 70 per cent of the seats under this quota are vacant.

"At IIT we try to be as inclusive as possible. We were recruiting physically challenged candidates even before the reservation was introduced. The task now seems a bit difficult, as we have to fill up a fixed number of positions but not at the risk of quality," said B.N. Jain, deputy director (faculty).

Faculty reservation for the physically challenged was introduced at IIT, Delhi, during the recruitment drive that took place during the first half of 2008. Currently, about four out of the 16 reserved positions are occupied.

The institute, however, is keen on not continuing with large number of vacancies and so has launched its first special recruitment drive inviting applications only from physically challenged candidates.

"The last date for the submission of applications for this drive was November 7, 2008. We received about 100 applications and hope to select about two teachers from the same. We will have these special drives every two years till we have successfully filled up all the reserved positions," added Jain.

Normally, candidates beyond the age of 35 years are not hired at the entry level (associate professor), but for this category there is a relaxation of 5 years.